A rigid, hinged-lid packet of cigarettes normally comprises an inner package containing a group of cigarettes; and a rigid outer container housing the inner package. The inner package is initially closed, and has a pull-off top portion, which is removed when the packet is unsealed, to enable removal of the cigarettes from the inner package.
The inner package and outer container often exert lateral compression on the group of cigarettes inside the inner package. And, when the packet is full, this lateral compression may make it difficult to extract the first cigarette from the group, due to friction between the first and surrounding cigarettes. One solution proposed to extract the first cigarette more easily is to fit at least one cigarette in the group with a pull-up strip, one end of which projects from the top wall of the group, and is gripped to pull the cigarette up.
The inner end, opposite the grip end, of known pull-up strips, however, must be glued to a wall of the inner package, which poses a serious drawback: the inner packages of packets of cigarettes are never glued, on account of glue on or close to the cigarettes releasing volatile substances, which are absorbed by the cigarettes and alter the aroma and/or taste of the tobacco.
Patent application WO9849072A1 discloses a method of packaging and package for a bundle of cigarettes; a flow seal package includes a resealable cigarette access which may be opened to permit withdrawal of the cigarette and then a suitable tab resealed on the barrier material to reseal the access opening.